Odiot was founded by Jean Baptiste Gaspard Odiot in 1690, during the reign of Louis XV. He became one of the most influential goldsmiths of the century, with the title of royal supplier. Jean Baptiste’s grandson, Jean-Baptiste Claude, had his talent rewarded by receiving orders of the Emperor – the scepter and sword of the Rite, the cradle of the King of Rome, to name a few.

Charles Nicolas Odiot, who succeeded his father, became the official supplier to King Louis-Philippe and the Orleans family. Charles’ son, Gustave, then became the goldsmith of the greatest families by carrying out the largest order that Maison Odiot had ever received, more than 3,000 cutleries for Saïd Pasha, viceroy of Egypt. Gustave also attained the title of Supplier to the Court of His Imperial Majesty the Tsar.

Based in Paris, Odiot’s workshop is where all the design and production occurs. Every piece is handcrafted and it is one of the last French silversmiths to produce gold pieces requiring over one hundred hours of attention. The workshop is made up of a team of tradesmen who have a multitude of skills. They are inspired by drawings that date back over 200 years. The trades within the factory range from Founder, Gilder, Turner-Repeller, Chiseler, Goldsmith with hammer, Fitter, Polisher to the ‘Argentier-Doreur’.

As well as the hallmark, every piece of Odiot is recognized by its style. An alloy of silver and a small amount of copper are used to make the cutlery; this alloy is melted into ingots and then cut into blanks. These blanks are stamped to create the decoration and then the item is trimmed to define the décor. The polishing gives the cutlery its shine and then a thin layer of 24 carat gold is applied, or a partial guild using vermeil.